Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)
C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is a long-period comet discovered on May 23, 2025. It follows a highly inclined (105°) parabolic orbit, reaching perihelion at
Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is in the constellation of
Cygnus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West-North-West direction at an altitude of 74.46° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) to Earth happens on Sat Feb 24 2029 at a distance of 2.662618 Astronomical Units, or 398,321,936 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) at epoch 23 May 2025 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460819.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00192653 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 104.93709744° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.46406931 AU 518,217,394 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2028-Dec-13 00:37:42 2,462,118.5262 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 188.63799361401° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 350.63472081823° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.016792085775767° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00001293°/day |
View Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jun 03 | 19h 15m 57s | +53° 40’ 42” | 21.60 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 19h 15m 19s | +53° 44’ 20” | 21.60 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 19h 14m 40s | +53° 47’ 54” | 21.59 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 19h 14m 00s | +53° 51’ 23” | 21.59 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 19h 13m 19s | +53° 54’ 46” | 21.58 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 19h 12m 39s | +53° 58’ 05” | 21.58 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 19h 11m 58s | +54° 01’ 17” | 21.58 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 19h 11m 16s | +54° 04’ 25” | 21.57 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 19h 10m 34s | +54° 07’ 27” | 21.57 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 19h 09m 52s | +54° 10’ 24” | 21.56 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 19h 09m 09s | +54° 13’ 14” | 21.56 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 19h 08m 25s | +54° 15’ 59” | 21.55 | Cygnus |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 19h 07m 40s | +54° 18’ 37” | 21.55 | Draco |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 19h 06m 56s | +54° 21’ 11” | 21.55 | Draco |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS): Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)?: Key information on locating Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)'s rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)'s position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS)'s computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2025 K3 (PANSTARRS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.